Article

Berlin Quartier Heidestrasse
An oasis of sustainability with innovative building
technology at the heart of Berlin
Author: Graham Martin and Marketa Sidlikova

Copyright: EM2N/Quartier Heidestraße GmbHA new highlight in Berlin’s urban landscape! North of the main railway station, a hugeplot of land equivalent in size to 83 football pitches is being redeveloped into theclimate-friendly, sustainable Europacity. It covers an area of more than 150 acres (61hectares) offering ample living space and workspace, featuring a vibrant mix of urban
areas for singles and families, housing office spaces for small and large enterprises
and providing a stylish home for retailers and art galleries. In buildings that set
architectural standards - a good example is the cube berlin with its multi-faceted,mirrored facade next to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Main Railway Station).
At the heart of the Europacity: the Quartier Heidestrasse. Taurecon Real EstateConsulting GmbH (founded 2013 by Thomas Bergander) has redeveloped a historicrailway facility and former industrial area into an oasis of sustainability. This new
district covers approximately a third of the Europacity’s surface area with residential
and commercial buildings, businesses, roads and squares, pedestrian and cycling
paths as well as many green spaces - with landscaping that’s been nominated for the2023 German Landscape Architecture Award.
Here you’ll find everything that’s typical for an endearing Berlin neighbourhood: ahotel, numerous cafés and restaurants as well as small businesses, co-working spaces,a kindergarten and a well-sorted supermarket at the centre of the district all contributetowards creating a pleasant living and working environment.

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The residential buildings with a total of 940 apartments face inwards towards thegreen spaces and away from the busy neighbouring roads and railway lines, and soit’s easy to forget that the Quartier Heidestrasse is just a stone’s throw away from thecentre of the city and the seat of the German Government. The trend towards
ecologically friendly mobility benefits from the multitude of electric charging stations
and from the nearby Main Railway Station public transport hub.
In bygone times, legendary trains such as the „Fliegende Hamburger“ travelled fromhere. Now, high-speed internet reigns supreme. A city within the city, covering an areaof approx. 85.000 square metres and with countless addresses for digitally networked
living and working distributed upon a surface area of 295.000 square metres. TheQuartier Heidestrasse is ready for tomorrow, with energy-optimized buildings for asustainable future.
„For Quartier Heidestrasse, CO2 emission reduction during the building phase and insubsequent operation is a top priority. New technologies, such as lining the excavation pitsof the QH Track office complex with a sodium silicate gel layer, contribute towards reducing
the amount of concrete needed whilst the use of digital sensors and building control systems
allows for a drastic reduction in everyday energy consumption.
The QH Track office complex complies with the KfW 55 standard and is certified inaccordance with the Gold standard of the DGNB, Deutschen Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges
Bauen (German Society for Sustainable Building). The use of non-toxic, ecologically friendly
building materials, together with the integration of photovoltaic systems, further contributetowards safeguarding the environment through enhanced sustainability during theconstruction phase and in everyday operation thereafter“, claims Taurecon.

Copyright: Quartier Heidestraße GmbH, Kamera 1

The developers of Quartier Heidestrasse selected the integrated OPUS building
technology system by Jäger Direkt because of its extreme flexibility, with a broad rangeof complementary features and services for the user. The OPUS system is hybrid bynature. Switches powered by 230V mains current feature additional EnOcean selfpowered wireless modules guaranteeing fail-safe operation of lighting, shading andheating for more comfort with lower energy costs.

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Further self-powered wireless sensors for leakage and smoke detection, plus intelligent
window and door handles, can enable safety management for the residents asrequired.
Additional Smart Home functions may be added at any time and at low cost to fulfil
additional individual needs. EnOcean’s self-powered, totally maintenance-free wirelesstechnology generates essential data for the Internet of Things (IoT). Installation takes
a matter of minutes, and costs approx. 30% less than for conventional hard-wired
solutions. No cables and no batteries required.
EnOcean devices harvest energy from motion, light and temperature differentials - anduse it to power switches and sensors, making buildings “smart”.
„The innovative digitalisation concept makes the Quartier Heidestrasse a pioneer in urban
district development. It’s the first time that all the buildings within such a large area havebeen integrated to such an extensive degree - connecting future residents, office workers,
retailers, caterers, service providers and the mobility infrastructure.
An analysis of cutting-edge technological possibilities and individual user-specificrequirements led to the development of innovative digital modules, which can be freely
implemented within all buildings throughout the district as well as in single office,commercial and residential spaces“, says TaureconFlexibility and user-friendliness profit from the integration of control software. AppleHomeKit, Amazon Alexa and other similar solutions enable the remote managementof the OPUS system via smartphone, smartwatch or tablet - via voice control, at homeor remotely. Network-enabled devices from a multitude of manufacturers can beseamlessly integrated in order to expand the building networks as required.

The EnOcean Alliance
As creator and promoter of this global standard, the EnOcean Alliance features aninteroperable ecosystem based on the open EnOcean wireless standard encompassing
more than 5,000 products on offer from over 400 vendor members worldwide. Foundedin 2008, the EnOcean Alliance is an international association of leading companies inthe building and IT industries, with global headquarters in California. This open, nonprofit organization is committed to enabling and promoting interoperable eco-systems
for Smart Homes, Smart Buildings and Smart Spaces based on the maintenance-freeradio standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-10/11).
www.enocean-alliance.org

Press contacts
Evelyn Back
EnOcean Alliance
M +49 (0)176 636 13 964
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